The billionaire, philanthropist and spiritual leader will be succeeded by his son Rahim Al-Hussaini.
Billionaire, philanthropist and spiritual leader Prince Karim Aga Khan “passed away peacefully” surrounded by his family on Tuesday in Lisbon at the age of 88, his charity, the Aga Khan Development Network, announced.
He was the 49th hereditary imam of the Ismaili Muslims, who claim to be direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.
Prince Karim al Hussaini’s funeral will be held on Saturday. According to a source from the Ismaili Imamate, it will be a simple ceremony similar to those held for other believers, centred on prayers that largely consist of recitations of verses from the Koran.
Hundreds of guests are expected to attend the intimate and private ceremony, including members of the prince’s family, leaders of Ismaili communities worldwide, and officials from institutions such as the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). Representatives of the Portuguese government and foreign dignitaries will also be invited.
In his will, the 49th Aga Khan appointed his eldest son, Rahim Al-Hussaini, as his successor and new leader of the Ismaili community.
Considering that the Aga Khan is not only the religious and spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims, a branch of Shiism, but also their political leader, the funeral rites include a ceremony akin to an enthronement. This enables the 22 international presidents of the Ismaili community to pledge an oath of allegiance to the new imam on behalf of the communities of the countries or regions they represent.
This private ceremony will take place next Tuesday and include recitations from the Koran, devotional poems, and music.
An important symbolic moment will be the formal signing of the “Ismaili Constitution” under the authority of the new Aga Khan, who will be able to address the leaders present and the community that sees him as a monarch.
The 50th hereditary imam of the Ismaili Muslims, who chose the name Prince Rahim Aga Khan, was born on 12 October 1971 in Geneva and assumes leadership of the Ismaili community after dedicating the last 20 years to managing the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), in which he is involved in various bodies.
According to Imamat Ismaili’s biographical note, the new Aga Khan has also closely followed the work of the Institute of Ismaili Studies and the community’s social governance institutions.
